With handshakes off the table, the Belarusian world No. 1 and the Ukrainian veteran bring 10-match winning streaks and a charged political backdrop to their Melbourne showdown.
MELBOURNE — The Australian Open women’s semifinal on Thursday will feature a contest layered with narrative weight as Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus meets Elina Svitolina of Ukraine — a match where the absence of a post-match handshake will speak as loudly as the tennis.
Sabalenka, the top seed and defending champion, is pursuing her third Australian Open title in four years. Svitolina, returning to the top 10 after maternity leave, is playing her first semifinal in Melbourne following a dominant 59-minute dismissal of No. 3 Coco Gauff.
Both players enter with perfect 10–0 records in 2026, each having won a warm-up tournament. Yet their encounter is inevitably viewed through the lens of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Ukrainian athletes maintain a policy of not shaking hands with opponents from Russia or Belarus, a practice both sides acknowledge.
“It’s very close to my heart to see a lot of support from Ukrainians,” said Svitolina, who has spoken of playing to bring moments of joy to her homeland. “I feel like I bring this light, a little light, even just positive news to Ukrainian people.”
Sabalenka, who holds a 5–1 career edge, has consistently expressed a desire for peace and for the focus to remain on tennis. “Whoever makes it there, it’s an incredible player,” Sabalenka said of the semifinal. “I’ll just go, and I’ll be focused on myself and on my game.”
Svitolina recognizes the challenge of solving Sabalenka’s power-based game. “She’s very consistent. For me, I’ll have to … try to find the little holes, little opportunities in her game,” she said.
The other semifinal will see 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina face sixth-seeded American Jessica Pegula. Rybakina advanced by ending Iga Świątek’s career Grand Slam bid, while Pegula defeated fellow American Amanda Anisimova.
